


Knight's Promise

by Squarepeg72



Series: Haven's Challenge 2019 [25]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Chess, F/M, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-02-07 04:23:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18613069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squarepeg72/pseuds/Squarepeg72
Summary: Hermione needs Harry to teach her how to play chess … She has a chess date with Ron tonight and she doesn’t want to lose.





	Knight's Promise

**Author's Note:**

> Written For Hermione's Haven Bingo Square O5 - Harry Potter
> 
> [](https://www.flickr.com/photos/148170750@N07/40538167533/in/dateposted-public/)
> 
> Song: Otherside by Avi Kaplan

Harry was startled by a strident whisper from the shadows of the library. “HELP!”

“Mione, what is going on?” Harry watched Hermione hide behind another shelf in the library. What do you need help with?”

“I need to learn to play chess before tomorrow night.” Hermione whisper screamed as she tried to shrink into the shadows bookshelf was creating.

“Not my job.” Harry mumbled as he tried to study the potions in the book he had been reading. “If you want to learn to play, ask Ron.”

“I can’t.” Hermione walked over to the table Harry was sitting at and slumped into a chair. “I told him I know how. But, nothing makes any sense. I need someone who has played Ron to teach me.”

“Mione, why did you think you could teach yourself from a book?” Harry sighed and closed the book he had been reading. “You have to practice and play to work on strategies that makes sense for you. Noot all of that can come from a book.”

“I didn’t think it would be this hard.” Hermione hid her face in her hands. “I just need to know enough to survive a game or two with Ron tomorrow night.”

“When did you agree to this chess date?” Harry question made Hermione sink deeper into the chair she was sitting in. “How long have you been trying to learn to play chess from a book?”

“Last week.” Hermione’s voice was barely a whisper in the quiet of the library. “It is just a game. It should not be this hard to learn how to play.”

“If it was anyone but Ron, I would agree.” Harry began to pack his books into his satchel. “Come on. I have a chess set in my trunk. Let’s see what we can get done in the next couple of hours.”

“Thank you.” Hermione slowly stood up from the chair. “I can’t believe a game can be this hard to learn…”

Harry tried not to laugh as he watched her walk out of the library mumbling to herself. He would do his best to teach her the basic moves and strategies of chess, but he was not as good as Ron. He would just have to do his best and then find his cloak …

Hermione stared at pieces on the board in front of her and waved her hands over the pieces. “The pawns can move one space unless it is the first move and then they can move two? The knight can only move in a L shape? WHY? This makes NO sense.”

“Chess has always been called the Game of Kings. It is a war strategy game.” Harry picked up a white pawn and put in her hand. “This is the pawn, the foot soldier. His job is to be the first line of attack and defense for his commanders. So he takes small steps forward. Always advancing the cause of his King.”

Hermione curled her fingers around the piece and continued to stare at the board. Harry picked up the white rook from the corner of the board. “This is the rook, the King’s castle. It can be the last line of defense and moves in a straight line to shore up defenses and protect the King.”

“It does look like some of the towers from the Castle.” Hermione shrugged and put the pawn back of the board. “I am never going to remember all of this. It’s just a game.”

“It is Ron’s favorite game and you agreed to play him tonight as part of your date.” Harry reminded her as he put the rook back on the board. “If you can get the basics, he will help you with the rest.”

“I should never agreed to this.” Hermione grumbled as she looked down at the board. “Maybe I can talk him into something else.”

“Not a chance, Mione.” Harry looked over the board. “He has been looking forward to this. It’s more about time together than the game.”

“I am going to lose.” Hermione let her head sink into her hands. “I hate losing.”

“Chess in not always about winning and losing.” Harry shrugged and picked up another piece. “Sometimes a draw is the best outcome.”

“What’s a draw?” Hermione voice filtered through her hands as she kept her face covered.

“A tie.” Harry answered. “Where one opponent offers to walk away and both opponents walk away with honor.”

“That could work.” Hermione sighed and picked up the black queen. “I just don’t know about this.”

“One step at a time, Mione.” Harry said as he held up a white bishop. “This is the bishop, the king’s closest advisor. He stays on he color and moves diagonally to control the other pieces and run interference for the King.”

“That almost makes sense.” Hermione watched Harry twirl the bishop between his fingers. “Does anything stop him?”

“No piece can go beyond a piece that they capture.” Harry set the bishop back on the board. “All the pieces are working towards the goal of capturing the opponent’s King and each piece has an important role.”

“Okay, so chess is a war game where every piece has a different role.” Hermione started to reach for the parchment and quill sitting on the table. “Just a few more notes and I should be ready.”

“Notes are not going to help.” Harry picked up the white queen. “Chess is a game of strategy and intuition. You have to feel your way through a game sometimes.”

“Still making no sense.” she hissed. “No piece moves the same and the list of strategies is endless.”

“This is the queen, the power behind the throne.” Harry place his white queen in her hand as he took her quill. “She can move in any direction for any number of spaces. She is the most powerful and vulnerable piece on the board.”

“How can you be vulnerable and powerful at the same time?’ Hermione raised an eyebrow as she watched Harry twirl the queen between his fingers. “You are either one or the other, not both.”

“The queen is powerful because she can move as many spaces as she wants in any direction she wants” Harry explained as he place the queen back on the board. “But that ability comes with a cost. Just because she can move where ever she wants, doesn’t mean she should. Many games have been lost when a player is too aggressive with the queen and loses her in the bid to trap the king.”

“That does make some sense.” Hermione looked over the board and picked up the one piece that had not talked about. “This horse. What does it do?”

“That is the knight, the queen’s best protection and Ron’s favorite piece.” Harry smiled as he watched her rub a finger along the horse’s mane. “It’s the one that has to move in an L shape and can move around pieces to attack or defend. It is harder to track where the knight can go and what pieces it is attacking.”

“I am never going to remember all of this.” Hermione took a deep breath and shook her head. “I am supposed to meet him in ten minutes and I still can’t get this straight in my head. I think I’m going to be sick.”

“You are not going to be sick.” Harry took the knight from Hermione and placed it back on the board. “There is an easy solution to this whole thing. Just ask him to teach you. He is not going to say no.”

“But, I told him I could play.” Hermione slumped back in her chair. “How can I go from telling him I know how to play to asking him to teach me to play?”

“By asking,” Harry picked up the knight he had just put on the chess board. “He is not going to mind. I am willing to bet he ask you to play so he could teach you. He is not expecting you to be a Grand Master.”

“But, I hate losing.” Hermione groaned. “And I am not going to win a game. Or tie, either.”

“But, you will get to spend time with Ron.” Harry held the knight out to Hermione.”There are a lot of reasons why Ron likes the knight. So are for what it can do on the chess board. The rest come from legends and history.”

“What are you talking about?” Hermione took the knight Harry was offering to her. “A knight is just a cavalry soldier. He was only as good as his horse and his sword.”

“And his honor.” Harry smiled. “A knight’s promise is the backbone of his life. His promise to protect his king and people was his honor and his life. Just like Ron.”

“A knight’s promise?” Hermione asked Harry as she looked closer at the chess piece she was holding.

“A knight’s promise is his honor.” Ron answered from the doorway. “I was coming to set up the board for our game. Thanks. Mate, for setting it up.” 

Harry stood up and walked towards the stairs leading up to their dorm rooms. “No worries, mate. Just ask him, Mione. Night.”

“Ask me what, Hermione?” Ron asked as he took Harry’s place across the chess board from her. “You can ask me anything.”

“Promise not to laugh?” Hermione place the knight back on his square of the board. “Can you teach me to play chess? I may have overestimated my ability to learn the game on my own.”

“No laughing.” Ron grinned as he watched Hermione tuck her head as she asked. “Knight’s promise.”


End file.
